Fragrance Friday

I haven't gotten any new perfumes in awhile (though I have some new Solstice Scents headed my way!), so I figured I would talk about non-perfume fragrance today. Namely, a candle. Namely namely, this candle:

via Candle Delirium

I have a thing for fig candles, you see. I'm not crazy about it as perfume (Diptyque Philosykos continues to not make sense on my skin, every few months when I decide to try it again), but as a home scent? Hells yes. I love the creamy fruitiness of it, and how that's offset by a woodsy base and complemented by subtle leafiness. I got a mini Pacifica Mediterranean Fig candle a few months ago, which was great, but the throw was pretty mild, so as a pre-finals preemptive stress reliever, I ordered the Voluspa Maison Rouge Figue de Bordeaux, one of two fig scents they make (the other is in the Maison Noir line), from Nordstrom. It's a two-wick candle that burns approx 50 hours, though I have long since lost track of how long I've burned it so I can't actually attest to whether that's true. The packaging is gorgeous, but my favorite part is, of course, the scent: it's a creamy fig with a bit of coconut, lighter on the green than others I've smelled, and it scents the whole house when I burn it (and our house is not small, which helps explain why 3 generations can live in it without killing each other). Basically, I'm enamored with it, and I have a big long list of Voluspas I want to try, including Black Figue & Chypre, and a couple ambery ones, and some white florals, and...yeah.
$16 for 11 oz, available from Nordstrom and Candle Delirium (the latter of which also has 3 oz votives for $9 that burn 25 hours, but I don't think the throw would be as nice on those; larger sizes are available from both retailers as well)

Have you tried any Voluspa candles? How do you feel about fig scents?

Pacifica Shower Gel, Soap, and Candle Reviews and Pictures

Hey, y'all! I just spent an hour working on this post instead of grading midterms. I expect lots of loving comments in return. Carry on!


Pacifica is a perfume company stationed in Portland, OR and founded by a UO (University of Oregon, YELL O!) alum, Brooke Harvey Taylor. The UO Duck Store had a 25% off sale a few weeks ago, and I took the opportunity to snag some of the Pacifica products they carry (which include candles, body butter, shower gel, soap, reed diffusers, solid perfumes, and spray perfumes), and got a free gift to boot!

In keeping with the eco-friendly approach that permeates Eugene (and the Willamette Valley in general), Pacifica's products are made with locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, have 100% recyclable packaging, and are made without animal testing, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and other such "bad" ingredients. Now, let me take a moment to say that all rigorous scientific research done has shown that parabens pose minimal risk, and the crusade against them is simply a very successful marketing ploy, so there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of using products with parabens (unless you are one of the rare people who suffers from a sensitivity, much like I do to cocomidopropyl betaine), and if you go out of your way to buy paraben-free products, you're being ridiculous. In addition, the prose on the Pacifica website is rather, um, overly wrought, and includes lots of references to Buddhism and East Asian influences, which, well, cultural appropriation = problematic. In spite of all this, though, I really like the products from the brand that I've tried, so if you've managed to make it through that ramble (and if you're a regular reader of the blog, you should be used to such by now), here are my thoughts!

I got the shower gel in California Star Jasmine, since I was tired of trying to round up the enthusiasm to use Holiday Lights Aglow when it was 70 degrees out and don't like how watery the Body Shop Mango shower gel I have is (oh my god, why am I so wordy?!). CSJ in shower gel form is heavily green with a jasmine floral backdrop. The Pacifica website claims that the scent has orange top notes, but I get primarily green notes with some hints of citrus. Regardless, it's bright and fresh, and perfect for sunny mornings. It's also wonderfully thick and foamy, so a little goes a long ways; a mounded quarter-size dollop is enough for my whole body. I've also worn the spray perfume (I love testers!), which has the same bright green opening, but wears down into a more floral heart. It only lasts a few hours and the finish is rather barebones with just a shadow of green florals, but it's very refreshing and pretty, and at $22 for 1 oz, it's a good cheap thrill. Or, if you go to the UO, you can just duck into the Duck Store (I couldn't help myself) and spray yourself as a pick-me-up!
$10 for 8 oz shower gel from Pacifica and select retailers (like the UO Duck Store in Eugene, OR, and perhaps Whole Foods? We don't have one in Eugene [the locals rebelled when they tried to put one in, as we already have several locally-owned organic/natural food stores]); other California Star Jasmine-scented products available as well